Filler apparatus for gas lighter



June 19, 1962 R. E. PETERSON FILLER APPARATUS FOR GAS LIGHTER Filed Feb. 16, 1959 l N VE N TOR. 90am; fps-r5250 United States atent 3,039,499 FILLER APPARATUS FOR GAS LIGHTER Robert E. Peterson, Los Angeles, Calif. (6022 Santa Barbara Ave., Garden Grove, Calif.) Filed Feb. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 793,573 7 Claims. (Cl. 141-18) This invention relates to lighters for cigarettes, cigars and pipes of the type utilizing a highly volatile liquid fuel, and more particularly to improved filler means for injecting the fuel into the lighter casing and preventing leakage of fuel from the casing.

More specifically, this invention relates to a filler structure with which fuel can be injected into a lighter from an aerosol dispenser, i.e., a container in which the fuel is retained under pressure. Such containers are provided with valve stems which, upon being depressed, place the interior of the container in communication with the atmosphere.

The fuel, which is highly volatile in character, is under pressure within the container. It issues from the container in liquid form, and at high velocity. As presently known, the only cans of this type used for filling gas lighters employ a so-called self-sealing rubber tip for the valve stem. The filler used in these lighters has a sharp, hollow needle. When the tip is forced against the sharp point of the needle, the needle punctures the rubber. The needle is provided with an opening adjacent its point, so that the fuel enters the needle and travels through it to the interior of the casing.

Presently known fillers are highly unsatisfactory because the rubber tip fails to seal after only a few punctures. Accordingly, the fuel leaks out of the container, and is therefore wasted. Another disadvantage is that the customer finds it a nuisance to operate the container in this manner; too much care must be exercised in placing the rubber tip properly against the needle, and too much effort is required in forcing the tip onto the needle and removing it therefrom. Where one fails to heed the necessary precautions, as by jamming the rubber tip at an angle with the axis of the needle, damage to both the needle and the tip is too likely to occur.

It is an object of this invention to provide a filler for gas lighters which eliminates puncturing of a container to gain access to fuel therein for filling the lighter.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved filler for gas lighters which permits fuel to be injected into a lighter casing from pressure containers utilizing a conventional valve stem.

A further object of this invention is to provide a filler structure which is more positive acting than prior art fillers for admitting gaseous fuel into a lighter casing.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a filler structure having a movable element for normally sealing off the interior of a lighter easing from the atmos phere, and which is operable to permit fuel under pressure to enter the casing and tolimit the level of fuel therein automatically.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a filler structure of a minimum number of component parts of simple design characterized by case of assembly and by ability to easily withstand the pressures which may exist within a lighter casing.

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of illustrative embodiment-s thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of a lighter casing, partly broken away to reveal a longitudinal sectional view of a filler, showing the plunger and seal arrangement for normally sealing off the interior from the atmosphere;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the filler of FIGURE 1, showing the plunger and seal arrangement in position for admitting gaseous fuel into the casing and limiting the level of the fuel therein; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view, taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2, showing the arrangement of exhaust ports and annular inlet and exhaust passages.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there is shown a cigarette lighter wherein the casing 10 has an inwardly projecting threaded boss 11. A cylindrical housing 12, which encloses and forms one of the parts of my filler structure, is threadedly secured in the boss 11. An O-ring seal 13 is disposed between the boss and the outer end of the housing 12 to prevent leakage of fuel through the thread ed connection. Alternatively, of course, the housing 12 may be soldered or glued in place, in which case the threads and O-ring 13 may be eliminated.

For admitting fuel into the casing 10', the housing 12 is provided adjacent its inner end with a fuel inlet port 14, and intermediate its ends with a number of exhaust ports 15 (see FIGURE 3). A rod 18 is fixed within the housing 12 and is surrounded by a pair of slidable sleeves 29, 21 separated by an O-ring seal 22.

The sleeves 20', 21 and O-ring 22 constitute plunger means, and are normally biased, as by a spring 23, so as to close off the outer end of the housing. The housing forms the guide means for the plunger means. The sleeves are forced inwardly by the valve stem of a fuel container indicated at 24 in FIGURE 2, which is adapted to slide along the rod 18. Forcing the valve stem 24 against the sleeve 21 also causes the valve stem to move axially within the container to permit gaseous fuel to pass through the valve stem. Fuel passes along the rod 18 through the sleeves 20, 21, and thence through the inlet port 14 into the interior of the casing 10.

When the fuel rises to the level of the exhaust ports 15 in the housing, the air and volatile gas pressure within the casing 10 forces any additional fuel through such exhaust ports 15 and the annular space 25 between the housing 12 and the sleeve 21 to the atmosphere. The exhausted fuel issues from the casing at high velocity, making an audible noise, and appearing as a fine mist, to signify to the operator that filling of the casing has been completed and the container should be removed. Upon removal of the valve stem 24 from the housing, the spring 23 forces the sleeves 20, 21 and O-ring 22 to the position of closure shown in FIGURE 1, thereby sealing off the fuel within the casing from the atmosphere.

To prevent the sleeves 20, 21 from falling out of the housing 12, the rod 18 at its inner end is secured to the inner end of the housing, as at 30, and is flared at its outer end, as at 31. The bore of the sleeve 21 is of smaller diameter than the end of the rod 18, whereby such sleeve cannot be forced past the flared portion 31 thereof. The spring 23, as shown, is disposed at one end in the sleeve 20, the outer end of which is turned, and at its opposite end abuts the inner end of the housing 12.

In the normal positions of the sleeves 20, 21 and the O-ring 22, the O-ring is located between the exhaust ports 15 and the outer end of the housing; in this position, the 0-ring 22 closes off the annular 'gap 25 to prevent the leakage. of fuel therethrough, and also seals against the rod 18. When the sleeves are forced inwardly, the O-ring 22 (see FIGURE 2) is located inwardly of the exhaust ports 15 for permitting fuel to exhaust to the atmosphere after filled to the desired level.

Inner movement of the sleeve 21 is limited to a distance necessary to allow the O-ring 22 to be moved to the position inwardly of the exhaust ports. To this end (see FIGURE 2), the housing is provided with an inner radial shoulder 32 which lies in the path of a similar radial shoulder 33 of the sleeve 21. The parts are shaped so that when the shoulder 33 abuts the shoulder 32, the O-ring 22 is past the exhaust ports 15.

For ease of manufacture, the housing 12 may be formed, as shown, of a cup 35, a tubular element 36 and a threaded sleeve 37, wherein the tubular element 36 is press fit at its ends in the cup 35 and threaded sleeve 37. The tubular element 36 is of smaller diameter than the threaded sleeve 37; thus, the outer end of the tubular element constitutes the shoulder 32.

The rod 18, O-ring 22, sleeves 20, 21, and housing 12 are shaped to provide inlet and exhaust openings and passages to facilitate filling the lighter to the desired level. The inner diameters of the sleeves 20, 21 are larger than the diameter of the rod. When these elements are forced inwardly, the fuel can pass only along the rod 18; the O-ring 22 prevents the fuel from entering the casing through the exhaust ports 15.

To prevent the possibility of the O-ring flattening out and abutting the rod 18 while filling the casing, the rod is provided with a reduced diameter portion 18. Upon the O-ring being moved to the position shown in FIG- URE 2, it surrounds the reduced diameter portion 18, whereby to insure adequate clearance between the rod and the O-ring for the passage of fuel into the sleeve 20. Also in this position, the O-ring forms a seal between the confronting surfaces of the sleeve and housing 12 at the upper end of the sleeve 20, thus preventing gas from being exhausted around the outside of the O-ring.

-It will be noted that the filler of FIGURES l-3 permits the use of a container adapted with a valve stem having a hollow mouth, e.g., Such as containers heretofore used for holding an ingredient (for example, shaving cream) under pressure to be released upon depressing the valve stem. The outer end of the rod 18 is smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of the valve stem, so that fuel issuing from the container will readily pass along the rod.

Having shown and described an embodiment of my filler, it will be apparent that various other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention of a plunger means carrying or being movable relative to a seal so that in one position thereof, both fuel inlet and exhaust openings are sealed off from the exterior of the casing, and which is movable to a second position to place the inlet opening in fluid communication with the interior of the casing and the exhaust opening in fluid communication with the exterior of the chamber. Therefore, I do not intend that myinvention be limited, except as by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a gas lighter casing, a filler comprising: a housing to be secured in the lighter casing, said housing having an opening to receive the valve stem of an aerosol dispenser containing volatile fuel, said housing hav ing a fuel inlet opening adjacent its inner end and a fuel exhaust opening intermediate its ends; a rod extending through said housing, the inner end of said rod being fixed to the inner end of said housing, said rod being of reduced cross-section adjacent said exhaust opening; a pair of coaxial sleeves surrounding said rod, said sleeves being of such size that their interior walls are spaced from said rod and their outer walls are spaced from the interior wall of said housing; means to bias said sleeves outwardly, but permit-ting them to be moved inwardly for admitting fuel along the rod to said inlet opening; and a ring seal surrounding said rod between the adjacent ends of said sleeves, said seal being movable with said sleeves, said seal in its outer position being disposed between said exhaust opening and the exterior of the casing to make the space between the rod and inner wall of the housing gas-tight, said seal in its inner position being inwardly of said exhaust opening and surrounding the reduced cross-section portion of said rod, the opening in Said seal being larger than said portion of said rod.

2. In a lighter casing, filler apparatus comprising: a cylindrical housing extending into the interior of the easing, said housing having an inlet port adjacent its inner end and an exhaust port intermediate its ends; a pair of sleeves slidable in said housing, the outer diameters of said sleeves being less than the inner diameter of said housing; a ring seal for sealingly engaging the inner wall of said housing, said seal separating said sleeves; and means normally biasing said sleeves and seal to a position wherein the seal is located between said exhaust port and the exterior of said housing, said means permitting said sleeves and said seal to be forced inwardly to a position wherein the seal is located inwardly of said exhaust port.

3. Filler apparatus for a lighter casing comprising: a cylindrical housing extending into the interior of the casing, said housing having an inlet port adjacent its inner end and an exhaust port intermediate its ends; a pair of sleeves slidable in said housing, the outer diameters of said sleeves being less than the inner diameter of said housing; a rod extending through said sleeves and fixed at its inner end to said housing, the diameter of said rod being less than the inner diameter of said housing; a ring seal in sealing engagement with the inner wall of said housing, said seal separating said sleeves, ths inner diameter of said seal being greater than the diameter of the portion of saidrod adjacent said exhaust port; and means normally biasing said sleeves and seal to a position wherein the seal is located between said exhaust port and the exterior of said housing, said means permitting said sleeves and said seal to be forced inwardly to a position wherein the seal is located inwardly of said exhaust port.

4. Filler apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said rod at its outer end is enlarged so as to be greater in diameter than the inner diameter of the outer sleeve.

5. Filler apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the outer end of said housing has an enlarged inner diameter, thereby providing a radial shoulder, the outer sleeve has its outer end located between said radial shoulder and the enlarged end of said rod, and wherein the outer end of said outer sleeve is enlarged to slidably engage the enlarged inner diameter portion of said housing.

6. Filler apparatus as defined inclaim 5, wherein the inner diameter of said housing is enlarged immediately adjacent to, and inwardly and outwardly of, said exhaust port. 7

7. Filler apparatus. as defined in claim 6, wherein the seal in its normal position is in sealing engagement with both the .rod and the inner wall of said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

